Package and method of packaging



March 18, 1952 G- C. CUNNINGHAM ETAL PACKAGE AND METHOD OFPACKAGINGFiled March 11, 1949 INVENTORS 6'. 0. CUNNINGHAM R. WELDON ATTORNEYPatented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE AND METHOD OFPACKAGING Gale C. Cunningham, Inglewood, and Robert Weldon, Wilmington,Calif., assignors to North American Aviation, Inc.

Application March 11, 1949, Serial No. 80,814

' 1 Claim.

This invention pertains to improvements in packaging and particularlythe packaging of fragile materials.

The invention is particularly adapted to the packaging of panes of glassand like objects to provide adequate protection therefor during handlingin transshipment and distribution. The articles to be packaged arefrequently of various sizes and irregular contours, thus accentuatingthe problem of simply packaging the same for safe shipment.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novelarrangement for retaining an article in a shipping container.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel meansfor securing an article within a container.

It is another object of this invention to provide a simple means forpackaging articles, such means being inexpensive and yet providingimproved protection over elaborate and expensive means presently used.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a packagingarrangement whereby containers of a few standard sizes may besatisfactorily utilized for articles of a wide variety of sizes andshapes.

Other objects of invention will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a typical embodiment of the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary portion of a modified form of container;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the assembled relationshipof the component parts of the container shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of con- I lying thecorresponding central area 8 of the member 5.

The article 9 which is to be packaged has applied thereto one or morestrips of an adhesivecoated material, as at lO-II. These strips or tapesmay be of any suitable material and are coated with adhesive upon bothsurfaces. The tapes are applied directly to the surfaces of the article9 and may completely encircle the article. Very satisfactory resultshave been obtained using a paper tape coated on both sides with apressuresensitive type adhesive, which is available from variouscommercial sources.

The article, with tape applied to the surfaces thereof, is placed inposition upon the central area 2 of the container member I, and theextended portions 3 and 4 are folded over the upper surface of thearticle. The adhesive-coated tapes effect an interengagement of bothsurfaces of the article 9 and the areas 2, 3. and 4 of the member I.This serves to cushion the article and retain it in spaced relationshipwith respect to the marginal areas of the container, thereby precludingthe possibility of damage from edge contacts.

The extended portions 6-'! of the outer member 5 are folded over theportions 3-4 of the inner member 2, and may be retained by anyconvenient means to complete the package. The direction of thecorrugations of material comprising the members I and 5 is preferablyarranged at right angles in order to obtain a package assembly ofmaximum rigidity. The intimate engagement of article 9 with substantialareas of the adhesive-coated tapes l0-H provides a very advantageouseffect since the rigidity of the package is considerably increased. As aconsequence additional stiffening means, such as extra plies ofcorrugated material, usually required, may be dispensed with while stillproviding adequate protection for the enclosed article. The saving inmaterials which it is possible to effect also leads to furtheradvantages in reduction of bulk and weight during shipping and handling.

The invention may be practiced in a variety of embodiments. In Fig. 3,for example,. there is shown a single piece container comprising acentral area [-2 and pairs of extended members l3--l4 and |5I5. Anadditional thickness of material is provided at H, overlying the centralarea 12, to provide uniform protection on both sides of the article tobe packaged. In this arrangement the pair of extensions l3l4 fold to thecenter, as indicated at 3, to engage the enclosed article, and thesecond pair [5-16 are subsequently folded to the line I!) to overlie theformer.

A further modification of a packaging member applicable to the presentinvention is indicated in Fig. 4 wherein a central area 20 is adapted toreceive the article, and a pair of extended members 2|--22 are thenfolded inwardly to meet at the center, the inner surfaces thereofengaging the article. A second pair of smaller extensions as at 23 areprovided to enclose the opposite sides.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the article is arranged to bepositioned within a central area 24, and a plurality of extendedportions as at 25-26 are then folded over the article so that theirabutting edges meet, as indicated by the lines 21-28.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, itis to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration andexample only, and is not to be taken by way of glimitation, :the spiritand scope of this invention being limited only by'the terms of theappended We claim: 1 A packaging arrangement for a sheet of glasscomprising a container of yieldable material, strips of tape havingadhesive applied to two sides thereof attached to sides of the glasssheet and to corresponding sides of said container, the edges of saidglass sheet being spaced from the corresponding edges of said container.

GALE C. CUNNINGHAM. ROBERT WELDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,205,892 Hecht Nov. 21, 19162,005,967 Berdan June 25, 1935 2,144,071 Loth Jan 17, 1939 2180313 KingV Jan. 30, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 63;187 SwitzerlandMar. 8, 1913

